Android 16 desktop mode — Google's best-kept secret got a quiet reveal at I/O
During all the excitement of Google's annual I/O 2025, you may have missed the more technical developer keynote where Google revealed that it's been working on a desktop mode for Android 16. You can watch the part of the live stream here where it's revealed.
Engineering manager Florina Muntenescu confirmed that the company is working with Samsung since the new mode is "building on the foundation" of the DeX platform, available on Samsung's Galaxy phones.
"We've been collaborating with Samsung, building on the foundation of Samsung DeX, to bring enhanced desktop windowing capabilities in Android 16 for more powerful productivity workflows," the company said.
We've said that Pixel 9 Pro phones already have a hidden desktop mode that is one of Google's best kept secrets that needs to be on all Android devices. This quiet tease makes it more of a reality.
We've been collaborating with Samsung, building on the foundation of Samsung DeX
After the keynote, Google posted a blog about adaptive Android apps where the company said, "an app's ability to seamlessly adapt to different screen sizes is becoming increasingly crucial."
We've known for while that Google is working a version of DeX as previously leaked Android 16 code revealed a desktop mode that was turned off by default. At the same time, a version of Samsung DeX was discovered in One UI 8 test builds that appeared to take advantage of the Android 16 Material 3 Express redesign.
Of course, last April there were reports that Android 15 builds had a work-in-progress desktop mode but that feature never released and Google didn't talk publicly about desktop mode like it did at I/O this year.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Currently, desktop mode is still turned off in Android 16 beta builds, and it's not clear when the Google and Samsung collaboration will actually release. Nonetheless, this would be one step closer in giving people more access to this helpful tool.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
24 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
Samsung's One UI 8 beta just added major improvements to Secure Folder — including a 'kill switch'
After One UI 7 suffered a bunch of serious delays, it's nice to see that One UI 8 seems to be back to a normal schedule. And now that the first beta version of the upgrade is rolling out, we're learning about all the extra features Samsung has added — including some key upgrades for the Secure Folder. Samsung has had a secure folder since 2017, well ahead of Apple and Android, but this year will see the company add a bunch of new features — some of which offer some parity with Android's Private Space feature. The most important is the new "kill switch" that lets you hide the secure folder from sight. The "Hide Secure Folder" button shows up in the quick panel, and removes the Secure Folder app icon from showing up on your device. That way, it's a little harder for thieves and other snoops to access whatever you've got locked away. Hiding the Secure Folder also stops any stored apps from working, meaning you won't get any notifications that might give the game away. This is one more way to stop apps from potentially giving the game away. Samsung also claims that this encrypts all apps and data, though from what I can tell, Secure Folder always did this. Still, that extra peace of mind is not unwelcome. Another major update to Secure Folder makes it a little more like Android's Private Space feature. With One UI 8, it now means that you can store apps in your Secure Folder without keeping a copy on the rest of your phone. You essentially hide those copied apps from your app drawer, meaning the Secure Folder is the only way to see and access them. You'd think this would have been an option from the beginning, but it's better late than never. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Biometric security has also been overhauled, with a feature that I'm actually very happy with. Rather than relying on the same fingerprints you use to unlock your phone, as was the case with One UI 7, One UI 8 now makes you register separate fingerprints for Secure Folder. Separating the two is definitely a good idea. You may, for example, have multiple people approved to use a certain device, but want to limit who can access secure files and apps. This lets you do that. It also means that potential thieves have one more obstacle before they can get to sensitive data. One UI 8 beta is available now, but only if you have a Samsung Galaxy S25, S25 Plus or S25 Ultra in the U.S., U.K., Korea and Germany. There's no word on whether it will come to other devices or regions yet.
Android Authority
an hour ago
- Android Authority
Here's a closer look at Google's Material 3 Expressive interface upgrades for Meet (APK teardown)
TL;DR Material 3 Expressive is updating the look and feel of Google apps across Android, and is set to arrive later this year. Last week at I/O, Google offered devs a quick peek at how Meet is evolving for Material 3 Expressive. We've now managed to get a hands-on look at further Material changes coming to Meet. Google has just drawn the curtain back on Material 3 Expressive, and over the past few weeks now, we've been getting some of our first looks at how this updated design language will impact some of our favorite apps — to say nothing of Android itself. During its I/O 2025 sessions last week, the company shared a tiny preview of how those changes will impact Meet, sharing the graphic you see above. That's a fine start, but we're not about to patiently wait around for that overhaul to roll out, and have put together an early preview for you. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release. For this advanced look, we're working with version of Meet. We've convinced the app to turn on its Material 3 Expressive changes ahead of schedule, so while none of these are visible in the app just yet, they should represent where Google's development efforts at least currently lie. In all these sets of screenshots, we're looking at Meet as we have it now on the left, and the updated Material 3 Expressive interface on the right. For starters, we've got an update to the view for your call history with greatly improved contrast. That's a trend that continues with the screen for manually joining a meeting, going for both enhanced readability and a more playful, rounded look. We also see a notice about the upcoming sunsetting of legacy Duo features, rendered with this new UI. We start seeing some more pronounced changes with these next screens. Once you've selected a meeting, the view when you're getting ready to join now features that big, bold button we first saw in Google's teaser last week. That's a change that similarly impacts the UI for direct person-to-person calls. While one consequence of everything getting bigger means that we get slightly less information packed on-screen at once, we have to say that these new layouts feel a hell of a lot cleaner than before, and come across a lot more polished — Google is clearly making decisions here intent on making full use of available screen real estate. Material 3 Expressive is set to formally start changing the face of Android apps at some point later this year, following the stable release of Android 16. While Google hasn't yet explicitly confirmed as much, our time spent working on these early previews suggests to us that we could very well see app updates like this one come to Android 15, as well. For now, though, we'll just have to wait and see. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
Wet Phones in Rice Can Be More of a Problem Than Solution
Summer is full of beach vacations and lounging near the pool. But if you drop your phone in some water, it could result in an expensive trip to a phone store. While many smartphones are water-resistant, that doesn't mean they're waterproof so it's still important to dry out your phone. Here are a few ways to get your phone dry after dropping it in water or getting it dirty, and hopefully these tips can help save you from having to buy a new phone. None of these methods are guaranteed to work, however, and while there's a lot of anecdotal evidence, there are very few scientific studies on the subject. The most recent study we could find was from 2014 by Gazelle, a company that buys and sells used and broken phones. According to that study, the make and model of phone were found to influence whether a phone could return to working order, with Android phones typically faring better than iPhones. Phone manufacturers agree that removing your phone from water as quickly as possible helps to minimize how much water comes into contact with your device. That means you have a better chance of saving your phone but don't put your phone in rice after removing it from water because that could damage it. Here's what you should do if you drop your phone in water. If you follow these instructions and your phone won't turn on, or it turns on and has some issues, you should take it to an associated phone shop to see if they can help. What Apple and Samsung recommend The two biggest phone manufacturers have some tips in case you drop your phone in water. Apple says that many iPhones are splash, water and dust resistant when tested in controlled lab environments, but these resistances aren't permanent. If your iPhone gets wet, it might display a warning that there's water in your phone's charging port. If you see this warning, or your iPhone comes into contact with water, lotions, soap or other potentially hazardous material, here's what Apple says to do: 1. After removing your iPhone from the material, turn it off and dry it with a soft, lint-free cloth. 2. Tap your phone gently with the charging port facing down to get excess water out of the port. 3. Place your iPhone in a dry area with good circulation and wait at least five hours. Pointing a fan at your iPhone's charging port might help the process. After five hours, try turning your iPhone back on and plugging it back in. If you're still having issues, you can try the other methods mentioned in this article, or you can take your phone to an Apple store for further assistance. Apple also says don't put your iPhone in rice. "Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone," the company writes online. Drop your smartphone in water? Don't has similar instructions for drying your phone: 1. Remove your phone from the water, turn it off and dry it off with a dry towel or a clean cloth. 2. Place your phone in a well-ventilated area or in the shade with cool air from a fan. Samsung doesn't specify a length of time to wait, though. Samsung says even after you've followed these steps that there might still be water inside your phone so you should bring it to a Samsung Electronics Service Center. Both manufacturers also say if you drop your phone in a liquid other than clean water -- like soda or pool water -- you should quickly rinse your phone using tap water before drying with a towel and then air drying. Apple and Samsung say to never use a heating source, like a blow dryer or oven, to dry off your phone. The heat could damage it. Silica gel beads could help You could also try silica gel. According to Gazelle, silica gel beads are a good option to absorb moisture out of phones. Silica gel beads can be found in those white packs labeled "Do not eat" that many products come packed with. You can save these packs from packages you've received, or buy packs through online stores like Amazon or companies like Dry & Dry. Once you have your silica, here's what to do after dropping your phone in water: 1. Get your phone out of the water and turn it off. 2. Dry the outside of your phone with a lint-free towel. 3. Place your phone in a large container. 4. Fill the container with your silica gel beads and seal the container. 5. Gazelle recommends waiting 72 hours to let your phone dry. 6. Remove your phone from the container and try turning it back on. Other household items might help If you don't have silica gel beads on hand, you could try other household items. Gazelle found couscous and instant rice both work well as drying agents. Follow the steps in the above section, but replace the silica beads with either of these, wait for the same amount of time and then try restarting your device. Gazelle also tested conventional cat litter, oats, chia seeds and uncooked white rice but doesn't recommend these products because they leave behind debris that could damage your phone. For more tips, check out how low-frequency sounds can get rid of water from your phone's speakers, how to get two days out of a single iPhone charge and how to easily manage your Android permissions.
